Initialed door mat



A. a. GROHSGAL 2,696,03U

INITIALED DOOR MAT Dec. 7, 1954 Filed May 8. 1950 um M,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofice INITIALED DOOR MAT Alexis C. Grohsgal, Providence, R. 1., assignor to Natco Products Corporation, Providence, R. I.

Application May 8, 1950, Serial No. 160,748

2 Claims. (Cl. -783) This invention relates to a door mat, and more particularly, has reference to personalized or initialed door mats.

Door mats of the type stated are not new per se, but in the art, it has heretofore been the general practice to provide door mats wherein the initials are a permanent or integral part of the door mat inserted during the initial manufacture thereof. Where the personalized door mat is of this type, it is necessary for a retail dealer to stock a large inventory of door mats for the purpose of supplying the wants of purchasers. As an alternative to stocking a large inventory, the dealer would be required to order specially for the purchaser, with the attendant loss of many sales due to reluctance on the part of the purchaser to permit the delay.

Where the door mat is of a type permitting the insertion of initials by the dealer, the inventory can be reduced, but to my knowledge, those mats heretofore designed along this line require the use of special tools, or otherwise involve the taking of time and trouble on the part of the dealer who may be either incapable or disinclined to prepare personalized door mats in this manner.

Stated generally, the main object of the present invention is to provide a door mat construction capable of being personalized by the insertion of an initial panel with notahie ease and facility and without the use of any tools, thus to permit a dealer to carry on with a small inventory, while yet being able to accommodate immediately and easily the wants of any customer.

Among more specific objects of the invention are to provide a door mat construction of rubber link type including a plurality of stiffener rods, which stiflfener rods and links cooperate to retain an initial panel firmly in place; wherein the inserted panel and surrounding door mat will have the appearance and characteristics of permanently related parts; wherein the construction can be embodied in door mats at little or no increase in cost above personalized door mats as presently constructed; and wherein the connection of the inserted initial panel to the door mat will stand up indefinitely under the heavy use to which a door mat is always subjected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a door mat equipped with an inserted initial panel in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of Pig. 1, the insertable panel being shown at an intermediate step of installation.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the door mat constituting the present invention comprises a body which in the present instance is of the rubber link type that includes rows of spaced links it alternating with rows of spaced links 2, the links of one row overlapping at one end with the adjacent ends of the links of the next row, and the links of one row intervening between the links of said next row. Thus, end openings 3 of the links 1 are brought into registry with end openings 4 of the links 2, and through these registered openings extend the parallel rods constituting stringers, it being readily perceived that the resulting mat is of articulated construction by reason of this arrangement.

Formed in this body is a panel receiving opening which in the present instance is of rectangular configuration, and to provide for this opening, the regular pattern of the links 1 and 2 is interrupted to provide for the desired open space, so that said space is completely cleared for the insertion of a selected panel, that is, clear except for the provision of one or more of the bared stringers 5 extending therethrough for a purpose to be made apparent.

At opposite sides of the panel receiving space, rubber sleeves 6 having openings 6 are positioned between the links 2 rather than the links 1 which would normally be utilized elsewhere in the mat body. The other Walls of the panel receiving space are defined by fiat bars '7 each of which is formed with longiutdinally spaced openings 8 through which the stringers 5 extend.

By reason of the construction which has so far been described, it will be seen that the mat body is provided with a panel receiving space opposite walls of which will be convexed as at a, this being by reason of said walls be ing defined by the rounded ends of links 2 alternating with the rounded sleeves 6, said rounded surfaces being flush with each other throughout the length of said convexed opposite walls.

Proportioned to be fitted into the said space in a manner to completely fill said space is the panel 10 of flexible material, the top surface of which is provided with the personalized indiciurn 11. In the present instance this panel has flat opposite walls 12 that abut against the bars '7, and concave opposite walls 13 formed complementarily to the convex walls 9 of the panel receiving space.

Intermediate said walls 13, the panel 10 is formed with the through openings 14 adapted to receive those portions of the rods 5 that extend across the space for the panel. Extending longitudinally of the through openings lid and from end to end of said openings are the slits 15 communicating between said openings and the bottom surface of the panel. When the panel is inserted (Fig. 2) these slits are fully closed, but during the insertion or removal of the panel, flexing of the panel distends these slits (Fig. 3) so as to open the openings 14 from end to end of said openings for insertion of the stringers 5 through the slits into the openings.

Considering now the fitting of the panel into the body of the mat, said panel is first positioned as in lFigv 3. This is done by the users grasping the panel at opposite sides so as to flex upwardly the opposite concave side portions of the panel to the position of Fig. 3.

This distends the slits 15 so as to expose the openings 14 from end to end thereof, and the medial portion of the panel is now positioned over said stringer rods and the panel pressed downwardly so as to cause the stringers to enter the openings 14.

The user now presses downwardly upon the upwardly flexed concaved portions, and due to the fact that the panel is formed throughout of flexible material, the concaved end surfaces 13, being readily deformable, snap into position so as to be gripped by the convexed walls of the panel receiving space.

No showing is provided herein as to how the personalized indicium 11 is applied to the mat panel It because this could be applied in any of various ways any of which can be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. For example, an inset initial member formed itself of flexible material can be set into the panel it). Or, any of various other methods of applying an initial to a panel can be employed by those skilled in the art, the present invention being mainly concerned with the manner in which the panel it), regardless of how personalized, is attached to the body of the mat.

it may further be noted that the insertion of the panel is effected Within a matter of seconds and without the use of any tools, so that a dealer can keep a relatively low inventory of mats, keeping only a sufiiciently large stock of the small panels it) to satisfy normal requirements.

It is further worthy of note that where the personalized panel is to be attached to an articulated mat, as in the present illustrated example, the insertion of the panel does not reduce the foldability of the mat except perhaps to a very small extent. Thus, even those links 2 which cooperate to define the convexed walls 9 of the panel receiving space can be swung upon the stringer rods 5 while still retaining the panel 10 securely in inserted position.

What is claimed is:

1. In a link mat of the type comprising staggered links, parallel coupling rods passing through said links and in which certain of the links have been omitted to form a panel receiving opening across which certain of the rods extend, means for filling said opening comprising a relatively flat panel of flexible material having spaced parallel rod receiving openings extending therethrough, said panel having spaced parallel slits opening through one face thereof and communicating with the rod receiving openings whereby upon flexing the panel parallel with the openings the slits will be opened to admit the rods to the openings, and said panel having grooves in the edges thereof which lie parallel to the rod receiving openings for receiving the ends of the links adjacent the grooved edges of the panel and holding the panel in slit closing and rod encircling position in the mat.

2. In a link mat of the type comprising staggered links, parallel coupling rods passing through said links and in which certain of the links have been omitted to form a panel receiving opening across which certain of the rods extend, means for filling said opening comprising a relatively flatpan'el of fiexiblematerial having spaced parallel rod receiving openings extending therethrough, said panel having spaced parallel slits opening through one face thereof and communicating with the rod receiving openings whereby upon flexing the panel parallel with the openings the slits will be opened to admit the rods to the openings, said panel having grooves in the edges thereof which lie parallel to the rod receiving openings for receiving the ends of the links adjacent the grooved edges of the panel and holding the panel in slit closing and rod encircling position in the mat, and filler sleeves carried by the rods between the ends of the links adjacent the grooved edges of the panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 617,076 Buchwalder Jan. 3, 1899 1,200,461 Bosworth Oct. 10, 1916 1,546,748 Reilly July 21, 1925 

